An increasing number of flood-damaged vehicles are hitting the market, and buyers have been advised to stay away from these models, the Belfast Telegraph has reported.
Many of these cars damaged by the recent floods that affected the north of Britain and the Midlands are patched up to make them look newer and tempt buyers.
They often do not reflect an accurate cost and have significant safety problems.
"Such cars may look fine at first glance, but the safety and electronic systems can be compromised.
"People must be aware that these cars will be hitting the market over the coming months," said Roger Powell, general manager of site mycar-check.com to the Belfast Telegraph.
The problem has already affected the US, where in the wake of Hurricane Katrina the car market was full of such deficient models being sold at marked up prices.
A spokesman for Direct Line Insurance advised buyers of second-hand cars to have the vehicle assessed by a professional mechanic in order to avoid any possible surprises.
The Association of British Insurers commented that many car insurers will not cover the cost of flood damage, so that sellers will attempt to pass on these costs to an unsuspected seller.
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